Libyan senior official meets PM in Castille
Part of diplomatic drive by Libya
One of three private jets carrying Libyan government envoys on a diplomatic blitz, landed in Malta yesterday morning with an official of the embattled North African government who had a brief meeting with the Prime Minister in Castille.
The Bombardier Global 5000 landed at Luqa airport at 9.23 a.m. after a request for a meeting was made late on Tuesday night by the Libyan government.
The plane was carrying Libyan Under-Secretary for International Cooperation, Mohammed Taher Siyala, who met Lawrence Gonzi at about 10 a.m.
The government was tight-lipped about the talks, which lasted less than an hour. The Office of the Prime Minister would only say Mr Taher Siyala had explained the Libyan government’s position on the recent events.
Following a non-committal period during which Malta had a large pool of citizens waiting to be evacuated from Libya, Dr Gonzi condemned the violence used on civilians, adding the end of Muammar Gaddafi’s leadership was “inevitable”.
The Office of the Prime Minister said during the meeting, Dr Gonzi reiterated the Maltese government’s position as stated publicly and insisted that all violence had to stop immediately.
The meeting, which comes ahead of an EU summit focusing on Libya starting tomorrow in Brussels, is understood to form part of a diplomatic drive by Libya.
Three planes left a military airstrip in Tripoli yesterday morning.
One jet, carrying Libyan Deputy Defence Minister Abdelrahman al-Zawi, landed in Cairo for talks with Egyptian government officials and the Arab League and another flew to Vienna and then to Paris, where a delegation was yesterday evening reportedly asking to see French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Reports also said there was a request for a Libyan delegation to meet with the EU’s High Representative, Catherine Ashton, but sources said no meeting was confirmed by last night.
Mr Taher Siyala is understood to have travelled to Lisbon, Portugal after leaving Luqa at 11.42 a.m.